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King
Uttiya
- Queen Tissa-Rakkha
was angry that the king was spending most of his time at the Bodhi.
However much she tried to stop it, she couldn’t. Asoka enjoyed
a lot of peace, gazing for hours, at the bodhi. The queen was
so infuriated that she caused the bodhi tree to perish by pricking
thorns on the trunk of the tree. The king was thoroughly upset
over this action of hers and spent about 4 years, suffering in
silence.
Emperor Asoka, who was successful in building a vast empire in
India, following a policy of ‘Dig-Vijaya’ (conquering
land), gave it up for ‘Daham – Vijaya’ (conquering
through the Dhamma). He had a tragic end. He passed away in 232
BC. Asoka had three sons, Thivara, Kumala and Jalauka and two
grandsons Dasaratha and Brahasratha. Out of all these claimants,
it was Dasaratha, who succeeded Asoka.- Dasaratha
died quite young and so his period of rule was a very short one.
Brahasratha succeeded him. His Commander-in-chief was Pushyamitra.
He was a very shrewd and powerful leader. As Asoka’s successors
were weak rulers, the empire he built was gradually disintegrating.
Pushyamitra made use of this opportunity. He, along with his army
was conspiring against the king. One day it was discovered that
King Brahasratha was secretly killed. This happened in 187 BC.
With the death of Brahasratha, the Maurya clan of kings came to
an end. The Commander-in-Chief, Pushyamitra, ascended the throne
and he became the first of the Sunga rulers. During this period
of unrest in the country, Buddhism too suffered a set-back. The
greed for material benefits, prompted a lot of Brahmins to don
the yellow robe. They were engaged in various wrong deeds, while
the pious monks spent their time in quiet meditation.- The policy
of ‘Ahimsa’ (non-violence) followed by Asoka was instrumental
in bringing about the decline of the economy. Pushyamitra, who
was a believer in Hinduism, did not ill-treat the Buddhists. He
however, did not patronize Buddhism to the extent that Asoka did.
There is mention of two Buddhist stupas, built by him. The Brahmins
were propagating their religion.
The condition in Lanka was different. King Devanampiya Tissa,
continued the task of erecting religious buildings. He gave his
fullest patronage to Buddhism. During his period of rule, Buddhism
spread in most parts of the country. After ruling the land for
forty years, Devanampiya Tissa passed away, leaving no son to
succeed him. This is how Uttiya, his brother, came to the throne.- King Uttiya
too ruled the country, according to the principles of Buddhism.
It is during his rule, that Arhat Mahinda attained ‘Parinibbaba’
(died). Stricken by great grief, the king went to Mihintale, paid
his last respects, and conducted the cremation ceremony, with
royal honours. The chetiya, ‘Mihindu-Maha-Seya’, was
erected here. Theri Sangamitta, 59 years old then, passed away
too, while she was living in the Hatthalaka convent. This happened
in the 9th year of Uttiya’s rule. The king paid his last
respects and just as in the case of Arhat Mahinda, he had her
cremation ceremony, under royal patronage.
- As a mark
of respect for Theri Sanghamitta, a chetiya was built at the spot,
where she was cremated. King Uttiya’s rule too lasted only
for ten years. The first Archaeological Commissioner of Lanka,
Dr. Bell, remarked that the cave inscriptions of Mihintale refers
to a daughter of King Uttiya. She is Tissa by name according to
this evidence.
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